Expansion of the Russian language and the education policy of the Soviet Lithuania in the 1980s

Vertinant rusų kalbos mokymo stiprinimo politikos sklaidą sovietinės Lietuvos švietimo aparate, susidaro dvejopas įspūdis. Viena vertus, rusų kalbos priemonės direktyvomis ir nutarimais buvo įgyvendinamos gana sparčiai, todėl maždaug 1987–1989 m. galima konstatuoti visiškai išplėtotos rusų kalbos mokymo bazės faktą. Kita vertus, administruojant švietimo sritį rusų kalbos galimybes silpnino biurokratų rusų kalbos stiprinimui priešinamas tautinis aspektas, ginčytinose situacijose teikiama parama lietuvių kalbai. Nepaisant politinių ir administracinių sprendimų, kontroliuojant jų vykdymą ir sprendžiant disciplinų reikšmingumo klausimą dažnai vyko savotiška biurokratinė amortizacija, trukdžiusi pagrindinius prioritetus skirti rusų kalbos dėstymui. Biurokratinė aplinka Lietuvoje įgyvendinant rusų kalbos stiprinimo politiką nebuvo skatinanti, greičiau atvirkščiai, tam tikri atvejai parodė vykdomosios valdžios galimybes manipuliuoti tikrinimų informacija, nesuteikiant visos informacijos centrui bei neretai atlaidžiai žiūrint į ministerijai pavaldžių įstaigų veiklos trūkumus, stiprinant rusų kalbos mokymą. Nepaisant atliekamo parengiamojo darbo, iš LTSR švietimo ministerijos pusės forsavimo skubiai taikyti parengtas priemones švietimo sektoriuje nebuvo. Tokį vietininkiškumą parodo ir ministerijos vadovų bei atsakingų pareigūnų sugebėjimai apginti lietuvių kalbos mokymo statusą. Tačiau akivaizdu, jog tokia amortizacija buvo tik dalinė, nes oficialiai vykdytai politikai nebuvo prieštaraujama, o minėtas politikos įgyvendinimas nuolat buvo prižiūrimas bei kontroliuojamas centro.The article analyses the implementation process of the Soviet language policy in the Lithuanian education system in late 70s and 80s. After the Union-level conferences held in Tashkent in 1975 and 1979, central institutions (USSR Education ministry) initiated an active Russian language program in secondary schools and pre-school establishments in all Soviet republics, including the Soviet Lithuania. Trying to concentrate on the lawmaking and administrative level, the paper considers reactions, attitudes and actions of the Lithuanian Soviet apparatus to the language policy question. Such analysis is based on formal and informal (everyday) bureaucratic environment of decision-making and implementation processes in the education system. Empirical data for this paper has been collected in Lithuanian and Russian archives and interviews with witnesses from the Soviet period (former officials). When the policy promoting the Russian language was proclaimed during Tashkent conferences in 1975 and 1979 and the USSR Education ministry launched its actions implementing that policy, native Soviet officials in Lithuania rapidly included the centre policy into national law and decisions level. New legal acts promoting the Russian language policy were approved by the Lithuanian Communist party Bureau and Council of Ministers in 1978 and 1979, whereas the transfer of these requirements to the lower institutional level took a longer period. Administrative actions supporting teaching of Russian in secondary schools and prc-school establishments were impossed and coordinated by the USSR Education ministry, but analogical means were approved on the institutional level of the Soviet Lithuania. During the period from 1983 to 1988 the main means strengthening Russian education were widely spread in the Lithuanian educational system, for instance, new Russian course books and handbooks were prepared, the number of Russian language lessons per week was increased, etc. Nevertheless, the bureaucratic performance (routines) show that in practice the implementation of the Russian language policy was not granted such a high priority in education establishments of the Soviet Lithuania as it was declared in official documents. Such situation was a result of the 'bureaucratic amortization', indicating attempts of the national Ministry of Education to buffer the negative impact of the language policy pursued by the centre. On the one hand, demands to emphasise attention to the Russian language in the education system were competing with the strong support of the Lithuanian language, and this protection helped the Lithuanian language to keep its dominant position in the teaching process even when the policy strengthening the position of the Russian language was in effect. In this context the support for the number of Lithuanian lessons and curricula was based not only on the administration of local bureaucrats, but also by permanent negotiations with officials of the centre. On the other hand, a fast and effective implementation of the policy regarding the Russian language was accompanied by a lack of control and motivation to learn, teach and control teaching of the Russian language. Such position was a manifestation of the bureaucratic resistance to the language policy. However, considering the enormous pressure from the centre to enhance the role of the Russian language in the Soviet society and the amount of relevant actions, planned both on the central and republican level, it may be concluded that such 'bureaucratic amortization' could only slacken the Russification processes, but not stop them entirely